Reversible pump control linkage



May 2, 1967 J. B. FINDLAY REVERSIBLE PUMP CONTROL LINKAGE 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 14, 1964 12% Z07".- PBCE, (Jack B. Findlay May 2, 1967 J. B. FINDLAY REVERSIBLE PUMP CONTROL LINKAGE 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 ju/nzorx FzndZa y (jack mm V Filed Feb. 14, 1964 y 1967 J. B. FINDLAY 3,316,773

REVERSIBLE PUMP CONTROL LINKAGE Filed Feb. 14, 1964 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Jack z'ndla y United States Patent 3,316,773 REVERSIBLE PUMP CONTROL LINKAGE Jack B. Findlay, Downers Grove, Ill., assignor to International Harvester Company, Chicago, 11]., a corporation of Delaware Filed Feb. 14, 1964, Ser. No. 345,002 4 Claims. (Cl. 74-481) This invention relates to motion-transmitting devices but more particularly it is directed to a device for converting foot pedal or hand lever force and displacement into angular displacement at a controlled component. More specifically, however, it is concerned with provision of an assembly including two cooperatively operable levers adaptable for use with a component requiring forward and reverse control input as well as maximum and minimum limits control all from a neutral position.

A suitable and highly adaptable use for such an assembly, although not being limited to such use, would be the control for a reversible variable displacement hydraulic pump.

A primary object of the present invention is to provide an improved mechanism for selectively furnishing to an associated controlled component forward and reverse control input from a neutral position.

Another object is to provide an improved motion-transmitting mechanism employing two operable control levers for furnishing forward and reverse position control through the maximum and minimum ranges of each such position to an associated hydraulic pump mechanism.

A further object is to provide a motion-transmitting mechanism having one foot-operated pedal and one handoperated lever cooperatively operable for providing forward and reverse control to an associated controlled component.

A still further object is to provide a motion-transmitting mechanism arranged to receive input control from a plurality of cooperatively operable members and translating such control movement into forward and reverse control of an associated component from a neutral position thereof through a full range of control in the forward as well as the reverse position thereof, and wherein an over-center type spring is provided to maintain one of said cooperatively operable members in each selected position thereof.

A yet still further object is to provide a motion-transmitting mechanism employing one foot-operated lever and one hand operated lever interconnected by linkage including a rotatively shiftable plate or walking beam-like assembly for translating the movement of said levers into forward and reverse control from a neutral position of an associated hydraulic component.

Another important object is to provide a motion-transmitting mechanism utilizing a pair of interconnected cooperatively operable members wherein movement of one of said members provides directional control for an associated hydraulic pump component while movement of the other of said members provides flow control for said component selectively in the forward and reverse direction of movement thereof.

The foregoing and other objects and features of the invention will become apparent as the disclosure is more fully made in the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment of the invention as illustrated in the accompanying sheets of drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view of the proposed motion-transmitting mechanism wherein the controlled component is in neutral and the forward position of the directional control lever is shown in broken lines;

FIGURE 2 is a side elevational view of the proposed mechanism showing said mechanism positioned for the maximum flow position of the controlled component and having the forward position of the directional control lever shown in broken lines; and

FIGURE 3 is an end elevational view partly broken away of the proposed mechanism looking generally from the right toward the left of FIGURE 1, the mechanism being shown in the reverse control position.

Reference being had now to the drawings it will be seen that a preferred embodiment of the device has been shown in association with a reversible flow, variable displacement hydraulic pump. Such an installation might be found on a hydrostatic ground drive agricultural combine or other vehicle powered by a pump of this character such as shown in co-pending US. patent application, Ser. No. 310,593 assigned to the same assignees as the present invention, now Patent No. 3,270,826 but wherein no separate directional control valve is employed in the system. As illustrated, the proposed mechanism utilizes a foot-operated pedal 10 and a hand-operated lever 11 although it will be appreciated that both said operating members may be either foot or hand operated without deviating from any of the inventive concepts hereof. The pedal 10 may be fashioned to provide a treadle member 12 having a pair of parallel flanges 13, 13 affixed to and depending from said treadle that may be suitably interconnected at opposite ends thereof. Cut-away portions of said flanges are dimensioned to receive a hub member 14 which may be secured to the flanges by suitable means such as the welds indicated at 15, 15. Hub 14 is centrally apertured to receive a stud bolt 16 positioned in a bracket 17 and fixedly secured therein by suitable means such as the welds 18, 18. A friction washer or disc 19 is positioned between one face of hub 14 and bracket 17, and a cone-shaped member such as the Belleville washer 20 is disposed in abutting engagement with the opposite face of said hub and with a nut 21 threaded on bolt 16. A lock-up nut 22 may also be provided on bolt 16 outside nut 21 for purposes well understood.

Support bracket 17 is secured by any suitable means to a fixed support which, as illustrated, may be the floor 23 of a vehicle (not shown) in which the proposed device is incorporated. Now as the pedal 12 is actuated by application of foot pressure thereon by the operator it will be rotated against the frictional resistance of friction washer 19 and Belleville washer 20 which resistance, of course, may be varied or adjusted as desired by manipulation of lock nuts 21 and 22.

An actuating arm 24 depends from hub 14 and may be secured thereto for movement therewith by any suitable means such as the welds indicated at 25. It will be understood, also, a suitable aperture 26 may be provided in floor 23 to accommodate bracket 17 as well as arm 24. The opposite end of arm 24 has pivotally attached thereto at 27 one end of a link member 28 while the opposite end of said member has threadably positioned therein a connecting rod 29 which may be secured against displacement therefrom by a lock nut 30. The opposite end of rod 29 is overturned to provide a laterally extending pivot portion 31 which is slidably positioned in an arcuate slot 32 in a plate or walking beam-like member 33 and secured against displacement therefrom by suitable means such as the cotter pin 34. As arranged the arm 24, link member 28 and connecting rod 29 may be said to constitute an articulated motion-transmitting linkage interconnecting pedal 10 and beam member 33.

A U-shaped bracket 35 is secured by any suitable means such as the welds shown at 36 to the support or floor member 23, and depending parallel arms 37, 37 supportably carry a pin or shaft 38 at the lower ends thereof with the end of said pin welded as shown at 39 to a locking plate member 40 which, in turn, is demountably afiixed to 3 one of the arms 37 of said bracket by suitable bolt and nut means 41.

Beam or plate 33 intermediate the ends thereof has affixed thereto a journaling hub 42 which extends laterally in both directions therefrom and is pivotally mounted on pin 38. The opposite end of said beam has pivotally affixed thereto a bent over end portion 43, of a rod 44, which is secured in place in the beam by suitable means such as the cotter pin 45, while the opposite end of rod 44 may be pivotally affixed at 46 to an arm 47 which actuates the control elements (not shown) of a variable displacement hydraulic pump component indicated schematically at 48.

A crank arm 49 is secured, by suitable means such as the welds 50, to a journaling sleeve 51 pivotally carried on pin 38 and extends outwardly therefrom and proximate the opposite end of the arm has fixedly mounted therein a bushing 52 which pivotally receives and carries in a central aperture 53 therein an eye-rod member, designated generally by reference numeral 54. Said eyerod member includes a rod or shank portion 55 pivotally positioned in aperture 53 in said bushing, and an enlarged eye portion 56 dimensioned to slidably receive in the eye thereof connecting rod 29. A cotter pin 57, or other suitable means, may be used to prevent accidental displacement of eye-rod 54 out of aperture 53.

Control handle member 11 is secured, by suitable means such as the welds indicated at 58, to the sleeve member 51 and extends outwardly therefrom at an angle approxi mately 90 from that of crank arm 49 and thence upwardly through aligned openings, such as indicated at 59 in the U-shaped bracket 35 and floor member 23, to a position such that it will be within ready reach of the operator.

A rod 60 has one end thereof positioned through aligned apertures 61 with a cotter pin 62 in the portion of said rod that extends outwardly of said aperture. The opposite end of rod 60 is overturned and positioned through an aperture 63 in the control handle member 11 and suitably secured in place as by the cotter pin 64, while a spring 65 positioned over rod 60 reacts against washers 66, 67 at opposite ends thereof to prevent accidental movement or displacement of the said control handle out of any selected operating position thereof. It will be noted that spring 65 as arranged functions as an over-center type of resistance or reaction element since one of the anchors thereof swings to one side or the other, of the pivotal axis of a bell crank comprising control lever 11, interconnecting sleeve 51 and crank arm 49, for the selective forward and reverse positions of lever 11.

In operating the proposed device it will be seen, by reference to FIGURE 1, that with the pedal elevated and handle 11 in the rearward position the controlled element 48 is set for reverse flow upon application of pressure to pedal 10. With handle 11 thus positioned when pedal 10 is depressed by application of pressure thereto (see FIGURE 2) arm 24 pivoting about the axis of bolt 16 rotates counterclockwise and carries with it attached rod 29 which causes pivotally connected beam 33 to rotate clockwise about pin 38 thus pulling rod 44 to the left and actuating crank arm 47 of the controlled pump component 48 in such manner as to cause an increase of flow therethr-ough. As beam 33 rotates rod 29 slides in eye-rod 54 without disturbing the angluar displacement of arm 49 which is rigidly interconnected by way of sleeve 51 with control handle 11.

Now, assume it is desired that the direction of flow through pump component 48 be reversed, whereupon foot pedal 10 is returned to its raised position by application of pressure on the heel portion of the pedal causing it to rotate in the opposite direction about its pivotal connection bolt 16. With the pedal again in raised position the hand operated control lever 11 is rotated counterclockwise, to the broken line position shown in FIGURE 1, carrying with it interconnected crank arm 49. Since arm 49 is pivotally and slidably interconnected through eye-rod 54 with rod 29 when said arm rotates counterclockwise, it carries the latter rod with it and causes the pivotal interconnection of said rod with beam 33 to move downwardly in slot 3-2 therein to the position shown generally by the broken lines in FIGURE 1. As lever 11 is moved past a line representing a vertical extension of the pivotal axis of pin 38, the spring 65 is moved over-center to a forward position to securely retain said lever in its newly selected position. Now the controlled component 48 is set for forward flow upon application of pedal pressure, hence when pedal 10 is depressed crank arm 24 rotates counterclockwise and carries with it pivotally interconnected rod 29 which, in turn, pushes beam 33 counterclockwise to a position such as indicated by the broken lines in FIGURE 2. This latter movement causes the interconnected control rod 44 to actuate crank arm 47 of the controlled component 48 in such manner as to cause an increase in flow therethrough in the opposite direction. Pressing the heel of pedal 10 again raises the pedal and returns the controlled pump component to its neutral position.

From the above it should now be apparent that a novel hydraulic pump control linkage mechanism employing one foot pedal and one manually operated lever has been shown and described, and it is to be understood that changes may be made in the construction without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope thereof as defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A control device for operating a component having a neutral position and alternate positions in opposite directions from the neutral position thereof, comprising: a support; a foot pedal mounted for pivotal movement on said support; bell crank means mounted for pivotal movement on said support; one arm of said bell crank means including a handle and being manually rotatable selectively between a forward and a reverse position thereof; a beam member having an arcuately extending slot therein and mounted for pivotal movement coaxial with but for movement independent of said bell crank means on said support; motion-transmitting means pivotally connected at one end to said beam member and at an opposite end to said component; articulated motion-transmitting linkage connected at one end to said pedal and constrained for movement therewith, and having an opposite end thereof pivotally and slidably mounted in the arcuate slot of said beam; an intermediate portion of said linkage being slidably connected to another arm of said bell crank means for guide movement therewith; yieldable interlocking means extending between said support and said one arm of said bell crank means and operative for maintaining said one arm in each of the selectable forward and reverse positions thereof; said pedal being operative between a neutral position and a full range of movement position in each of the alternate positions of said component; said linkage, beam and said another arm of said bell crank means being operatively cooperative upon movement of said one arm of said bell crank. means into each of the forward and reverse positions thereof and upon actuation of said pedal for selectively providing operative control to said component between maximum and minimum range of movement limits thereof in each of the alternate positions of the component.

2. The invention according to claim 1 and further characterized in that the articulated linkage extending between said foot pedal and said beam is adjustable for increasing or decreasing the length thereof.

3. The invention according to claim 1 wherein said interlocking means comprises an over-center type spring mechanism which is yieldable upon application of a predetermined force to said one arm of said bell crank to permit movement of said bell crank between the selectable forward and reverse positions thereof.

4. The invention according to claim 1 and further characterized in that friction washer means and coneshaped resilient washer means are respectively disposed between opposite sides of the pivotally mounted pedal and said support whereby resistance to the free pivotal movement of said pedal is provided, and further characterized in that adjustable means are provided for varying the resistance to movement established by said friction washer and resilient washer means.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 116,394 6/1871 Banks 7440 1,102,940 7/ 1914 Merchant 74-5 60 X 2,399, 15 0 4/ 1946 6 2,977,816 4/1961 Rice 74481 X 3,040,596 6/1962 Du Shane et a1. 3,096,663 7/1963 Sink.

FOREIGN PATENTS 5 141,944 8/1948 Australia.

622,878 3/1927 France. 1,309,997 10/ 1962 France.

471,344 2/ 1929 Germany. 925,225 5/1963 Great Britain. 10 141,395 3/1962 Russia.

FRED C. MATTERN, JR., Primary Examiner. MILTON KAUFMAN, Examiner.

Snider 74 480 15 C. F. GREEN, Asszszant Examiner. 

1. A CONTROL DEVICE FOR OPERATING A COMPONENT HAVING A NEUTRAL POSITION AND ALTERNATE POSITIONS IN OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS FROM THE NEUTRAL POSITION THEREOF, COMPRISING: A SUPPORT; A FOOT PEDAL MOUNTED FOR PIVOTAL MOVEMENT ON SAID SUPPORT; BELL CRANK MEANS MOUNTED FOR PIVOTAL MOVEMENT ON SAID SUPPORT; ONE ARM OF SAID BELL CRANK MEANS INCLUDING A HANDLE AND BEING MANUALLY ROTATABLE SELECTIVELY BETWEEN A FORWARD AND A REVERSE POSITION THEREOF; A BEAM MEMBER HAVING AN ARCUATELY EXTENDING SLOT THEREIN AND MOUNTED FOR PIVOTAL MOVEMENT COAXIAL WITH BUT FOR MOVEMENT INDEPENDENT OF SAID BELL CRANK MEANS ON SAID SUPPORT; MOTION-TRANSMITTING MEANS PIVOTALLY CONNECTED AT ONE END TO SAID BEAM MEMBER AND AT AN OPPOSITE END TO SAID COMPONENT; ARTICULATED MOTION-TRANSMITTING LINKAGE CONNECTED AT ONE END TO SAID PEDAL AND CONSTRAINED FOR MOVEMENT THEREWITH, AND HAVING AN OPPOSITE END THEREOF PIVOTALLY AND SLIDABLY MOUNTED IN THE ARCUATE SLOT OF SAID BEAM; AN INTERMEDIATE PORTION OF SAID LINKAGE BEING SLIDABLY CONNECTED TO ANOTHER ARM OF SAID BELL CRANK MEANS FOR GUIDE MOVEMENT THEREWITH; YIELDABLE INTERLOCKING MEANS EXTENDING BETWEEN SAID SUPPORT 